The yacht with the lot

By ROBIN BAILEY

Throughout the world there are people who dream about boats and there are boats to dream about. Among the latest to dream about is the flagship of the famed Azimut range.

Just launched by the Azimut-Bennetti Group are three Azimut 116s which are now cruising the Mediterranean and Caribbean before heading to their homes.

One is bound for Mexico and Gary Erceg, chief of Yachtfinders Global, Auckland agents for the range, was on board shortly after the launch.

He says it's a knockout in every aspect.

And that goes for design, performance, technology, power, styling - the works.

The Italian yard has been building quality yachts since 1969 and is a world leader at the top end of the market.

The external lines of the sleek 35m Azimut 116 are the work of Stefano Righini in collaboration with the yard's in-house styling department.

The interior of the standard 116 is the work of Carlo Galeazzi.

This partnership has worked successfully for other motoryachts in the Azimut range.

The company says this has enabled clients to have maximum flexibility, which it believes is very important on a yacht of this size.

Hull No 1 has been semi-customised, with the owner's architect responsible for the interior design and furnishings.

The 116 has a beam of 7.4m and has two and a half decks.

Three internal layout versions are available, with a combination of owners' suites and guest cabins on either the main or lower deck.

A special American version has all five cabins on the lower deck which enables a big country-style galley to be incorporated.

The crew cabins are in the bow and these can vary between two or three cabins, all with bathrooms or with a crew dining and utility area.

There is a big central saloon area is on the main deck, with the layout of the lounge section providing lots of space for the owner to add a personal touch.

Strong emphasis has been placed on creating a light and open interior and there are Righinis signature windows throughout.

There are three big elliptical windows on the sides.

Two illuminate the main deck and the third lights the internal wheelhouse.

For the guest cabins on the lower deck, there are six big oval portholes.

The layout of the engineroom is the result of much research.

The twin 2000hp MTU engines are housed along with two 55kwKholer cooling units for the air-conditioning, including primary air treatment, bilge and fire pumps, fresh water autoclave pumps, fuel pumps and an exhaust silencer.

The whole engineroom is insulated and soundproofed under rigid criteria to guaranteed minimal noise transmission to the surrounding areas.

On the sundeck is circular seating for dining.

There is also a hydro-massage tub that can be open-air or shaded by electronically-operated hard tops.

The big overhang of the bridge almost covers the cockpit.

In the stern the garage can accommodate a tender and two jetskis. Alternatively, it can be modified to take the tender and one jetski, leaving space for an extra crew cabin with bathroom.

It's a yacht that has the lot.

On the Mexico-bound model, Erceg took special note of the diving board from the top deck, something we don't often see on superyachts in this part of the world.

SPECIFICATIONS

LOA (including pulpit): 35.5m

Beam: 7.65m

Draft: 2.1m

Displacement (at full load): 132 tonnes

Engines: 2 x 2000 mhp (1470kw) MTU 16V 2000 M91

Maximum speed (at full load): 25 knots

Cruising speed: 23 knots

Cabins: 5 plus crew

Berths: 10 plus crew

Price: $18 million

Yachtfinders-Global